Daughter of Fire
by Sunnycanary
Summary: Katniss's story has finished. Now is the time of her daughter, Prim. She must survive the newest Hunger Games created by Haymitch's cousin looking for revenge. Romance in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Relax your arms and focus on the target. Straighten your back, don't slouch. Imagine you, the bow and the arrow as one."

My mother's voice floats over to me, guiding my hands as they stretch the string of the bow. The bow is a gift from my mother, handmade and newly polished. Swirls of different shades of brown curls and sweeps along the wood. My mother promised me she would teach me how to hunt when I reached twelve years old. So here I am now, on my twelfth birthday, in the woods. I pretend to nock an arrow in the bow, and imagine it shooting to my target, flying through the air.

"I think you are ready to try shoot a real arrow now, Prim. Remember, keep calm," she adds as she sees my excited expression. To shoot a perfect arrow through the forest is my dream come true! Handing me the arrow, my mother stands back to correct any mistakes I make.

A loud crashing noise suddenly fills the once-silent forest. I look around, frustrated, and see the cause of the noise - my younger brother, Jako. I turn around to face him, about to scold him for interrupting such an important lesson, when his expression stops me just as I open my mouth. Fear and anxiousness crowds his face, distorting his features.

"Jako, what's wrong?" I ask, not knowing if I want the answer. He shakes his head, unable to speak. My mother briskly walks over, concern creeping over her face.

"Jako, tell me what's wrong." my mother examines his face carefully, trying to find out more.

"T-there's a s-scary person at h-home…" whimpers Jako. Rage fills up my body. No one is allowed to scare my little brother like that, not ever! My mother signals for us to pack up, and I reluctantly start to fold up the targets and put away my bow and arrows.

"No, take that with you," my mother orders me without looking. She grabs her own bow and shoulders her quiver. Without a word, we silently make our way back to our home. We cross the garden filled with primroses, in honour of my aunt. I was named after my mother's little sister, who had died before I was born.

Taking cautious steps, we creep towards the building, to find my father waiting at the back door for us. Beside him is a man with sandy hair falling down in greasy strands. His almost-yellow eyes are cold and calculating, and his fingers tap impatiently against his legs. As we approach them, the corners of his mouth turns up in a failed attempt to smile.

"Katniss, Jako, Prim, this is Horace, Haymitch's cousin," my father explains, his face creasing in subtle disgust and suspicion. Why hadn't he been killed by President Snow, like the rest of Haymitch's family? "He came to tell us something. He said it was very important and urgent."

Curious, I follow my mother into the house. Horace tries to ruffle my hair, and almost at once, I deeply dislike him. Glaring at him, I duck under his arm and rush away, wishing I was young enough to cling onto my mother's arm. Honestly, this man frightens me. Everyone sits down at the dining room table, when Horace starts to speak.

"I am a journalist, and my boss wants me to do an article about the Hunger Games." Jako and my ears perk up. My mother and father had never talked about the Hunger Games much, and although we learnt about it in History lessons at school, no one told us any details. "It would be wonderful if you two could help me with this article. I want it to be really successful." Horace's eyes glint as he waits for an answer. My parents look at each other, worry in their eyes. Before dying, Haymitch had warned them not to trust his cousin.

"Sorry, but no, we are too busy to help," answers my father politely, trying to respect his Haymitch's last dying wish. At once, Horace's expression turns ugly. His mouth twists in a scowl, and his eyes turn darker. Realising that he had let his mask slip, he tries to regain the friendliness in his expression that was never there.

"It is a _very_ good opportunity. I will pay you lots of money. All you have to do is tell me what happened. Come on, you will be acknowledged in the article. If this gets big, this could be a monthly, or even weekly, thing. Your names will be known everywhere!" Horace is caught up by his vision with an excited smile on his face. My parents look even more worried.

"Sorry, but no thanks. We don't need more money, and we might not be prepared to relive our worst nightmares." My father gives a wry smile. "We already have enough fame, everyone already knows us. That wouldn't be a plus. And we want a normal childhood for our children, not filled with interviews and all that. So once again, no."

Horace's face returns to the ugly scowl. Looking at each of us, and realising that his attempts to persuade us is futile, he gets to his feet and glares at us.

"Well, it's your loss," he snaps. I shrink away from his menacing figure while trying my best to protect Jako as well. "I really don't have much more to do here, I better be going." Horace stomps out the door, slamming it behind him. My parents glance sadly at each other, and start to prepare dinner.

Dinner is more subdued than usual, with both my parents not saying much. Jako and I try to fill in the silence with futile attempts of conversation, but all of us can tell that it's not working.

After dinner, I get out my sketchbook, and finish off my picture of a primrose. My father is an excellent artist, and I had inherited his talent. The sketchbook is a gift from him, just like the bow is from my mother. I move on to another drawing of a chickadee, trying to get the angle of the beak right. I like chickadees; if I had a symbolic animal, like my mother, it would be the chickadee. I think Jako would be more like a falcon, fast and witty, always on the move.

When my mother tucks me in at bedtime, I ask her about the Hunger Games.

"Mother, what happened in the Hunger Games?" I tentatively ask. She sighs and looks at me, brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I guess you have to know one day." She opens her mouth and tells me a story.

"I had a little sister, and her name was Prim. She was one of the best things in my life. Then, one day, she was chosen to represent District 12 in the annual Hunger Games. I just couldn't imagine her going into the arena, so I volunteered for her. I went on a train trip to the Capitol with your father, and met Haymitch, who was to train us. When we entered the arena, I tried to survive. There was a girl from District 11, Rue, who reminded me of Prim. So I tried to protect her, and formed an alliance with her. She was killed by a boy in District 3."

A tear rolls down her cheek. "At the very end, it was just me, your father, and another boy from District 2, Cato. Cato fell to a pack of mutts. Your father and I decided to eat nightlock berries together, but the Capitol stopped us and declared us both winners of the 74th Hunger Games. It was my very first Hunger Games, and without realising it, your father and I had started a rebellion against the Capitol."

I listen attentively, but in the end, the story has raised more questions than it had answered.

"You said it was your first Hunger Games. Can you tell me about the others?" I ask. My mother shakes her head.

"That story is for another time." Smiling, she kisses me on my forehead and closes the lights. I fall into deep unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next day, I get up early to go to school. I braid my hair and wash my face, then shake Jako awake. Grabbing a chunk of bread from the kitchen, I collect everything I need and cram it into a black backpack. I wave goodbye to my parents and walk to school.

As soon as I get to school, I notice something is wrong. My suspicion increases when I spot Horace talking with the principal, Mr Fletcher. I creep towards them, trying to hear what they are talking about. But they are too quiet, murmuring in low voices. So I wait impatiently for my best friend, Sofya, to come.

At last, Sofya comes, and we walk to class together. I quickly tell her about everything that happened since yesterday, including Horace and Mr Fletcher's conversation, who have disappeared into the staffroom. As we pass the staffroom, I try to see what Horace is up to, but the windows are tinted, and I can only see blurry, gray shapes. The bell that signals the start of the class rings, and we sprint toward our classroom. Just as I enter the room, the teacher, Ms Ivy, calls out my name for roll call.

"Here," I call out as I slip into my seat. Willow, who is sitting next to me, raises an eyebrow, demanding an explanation on why I am late. Just as I rack my brains for an excuse, a puffed out messenger arrives at the doorway.

Taking hesitant steps, he delivers the message. "Mr Fletcher says there is a quick assembly now, and to go to the meeting hall as soon as possible."

Ms Ivy looks at her watch, and swears under her breath. "Now? I'm in the middle of a lesson. This is the most inappropriate time possible."

The messenger shrugs and replies, "Mr Fletcher just said to come."

"Tell him I'll be there with my class shortly."

With that, the messenger runs in the opposite direction to notify the other classes. Everybody exchanges puzzled glances. Mr Fletcher had never called for assemblies without planning it with the teachers. What could this one be about?

As everyone forms two lines, I sneak a glance to the other classes who are also getting ready to go to the meeting hall. Ms Ivy is discussing this with the teacher from the class next to us, Mr Bobney. They both have confused expressions on their faces.

We trudge to the meeting hall, file in, and take our places. When everyone is seated, Mr Fletcher comes and stands on the stage.

"Welcome, everyone! I am terribly sorry that I had to interrupt your classes, but there is a guest who had popped in to give you all a day of fun! He will explain more." And with that, he stepped off the stage, only to be replaced by Horace.

"Children, you are now currently studying the history of the Hunger Games, right? Well, I am here to help you with that! Would you like to feel what it would be like to be in the Hunger Games? Obviously, you wouldn't die. Well, what do you say?" After hearing Horace's words, the children in the hall look around excitedly, and the teachers nod in agreement. "Here are the rules: I have already set up a mini arena in the school grounds. You are not allowed outside the arena. The names of all of you will go into a draw. How many classes are there?" Horace asks his audience, and they shout the number twelve back at him. "Excellent! The perfect number. There will be a boy and a girl from each class drawn. Each of the tributes will receive a monitor that is attached onto your shirt. Don't take it off, no matter what. If you do, you are automatically disqualified. To defeat your opponent, just press the pad on the monitor. They will be taken out of the arena, and will be free to watch the rest of the Game. Do not kill your opponents! The weapons given won't be enough to kill someone, but they can be used just like real weapons. The games will last the whole day, and you might get home late."

Teachers hand out little slips of paper and pencils. After writing our names, Sofya and I drop the paper into a box labelled Room Seven Girls. Our classrooms are in age order, Room One being the seven year olds, and Room Twelve being the eighteen year olds. Today, I had just moved up to Room Seven. Sofya had moved up a few months ago.

Horace comes up to each box, starting at Room One Girls. In a loud clear voice, he announces Bekka Hoyts. Moving on to the boys, he announces Kaleb Mourting. Both of them are excited, eyes shining. While he moves up along the boxes, I hold my breath, and hope it's not me or Sofya. He gets to our box. It seems like he is deliberately slowing down, as if he knows that I am in this class and he wants to make me suffer. He reaches into the box. And pulls out a slip of paper. I feel a little bit better when I realise it isn't going to be Sofya, because she always folds her paper up in little triangles. This one is rectangle. Then, in a clear voice, he announces…Prim Mellark. My mouth gapes in shock. I shakily get to my feet. _It's ok, it's not really the Hunger Games. You won't die._ I try to think reassuring thoughts, and for a moment, I calm down. Then, Horace announces the boy from my class, and I start panicking again. It is Tomas Peterson, and he is huge and sporty. I'm sure many people will fall to him in these games. The rest of the people are called out, and everyone applauds.

"Are you all in comfortable clothes?" Horace asks the tributes. I test my leather boots, my trousers, my shirt and my jacket, and reply yes. He leads us outside, and we gasp in amazement. The drab, gray school grounds has been transformed into a small forest, complete with clearings and strings. Horace leads us to the Cornucopia, and tells us which pads we are to stand on. The Cornucopia is overflowing with survival items. I look to the sky and see it shimmer, and guess Horace has fitted in a weather and time dome. These domes allows whoever has a remote to control the weather or time in the dome. So Horace could make the Games seem longer than they actually are.

I try to recall all my mother's advice on hunting, and try to remember how she had won the games.

_Don't run into the bloodbath. Just grab some items close to you and go. Run for the trees. You'll get weapons later, off some other tribute. Survive._

Horace's voice, magnified ten times with a megaphone, blasts around the arena. "Before we start, I would like to tell you all about a few things. I have introduced a few species of animals. I won't tell you what kind, but they won't kill you. It's up to you to figure out how you can use them to your advantage. Also, your class teacher will choose a girl and a boy from your class to act as your mentors, so you can receive gifts from sponsors. To give gifts, give the item to me and I will send it through."

I hope the girl being my mentor is Sofya.

"Sponsors, you can sponsor anything in the boxes in the hall. You will all receive a small amount of money, so be careful not to use up all your money quickly. The time in the arena will be much faster, so instead, one hour will be one day."

I quickly do calculations in my head. It is nine o'clock now, and school finishes at five. So we will have around eight or nine arena days.

"May the odds _ever_ be in your favour."

The one minute countdown begins. _60…59…58…_I adjust my jacket, make sure the laces on my boots are tied_…48…47…46…_I scan my eyes around at my opponents. I recognise most of them. From Room One, there's Bekka Hoyts and Kaleb Mourting, from Two, there's Skyla Morrison and a boy that I don't recognise. From Three, there's Kayla Bryna and Eddy Cendy. From Four are a pair I don't recognise. From Five is Sylvia, Sofya's little sister, and her best friend, Monty Questin. No doubt they will be allies. From Six are Rose and Kayton Davis. They're twins, and it's a real coincidence they were both chosen. Kayton is beside me, to my left. To my right is Tomas Peterson, and beyond him, is Mikka Thompson and Raypan Indoisa, from Room Eight. I don't recognise the girl from Nine, but the boy is a huge bully that everyone calls Bulldozer when he's not around. From Ten is a skinny girl, who always wins the running races, and a boy who always wins the wrestling. From Eleven is another pair I don't recognise. Standing on the Twelve launch pad, is Ffyona Olive and Davyson Glennis. They are sworn enemies, hating each other like cats and dogs. I also look at the items. Not too far away from me is a black backpack. In the time it has taken me to look around at twenty three other tributes, the countdown has reached ten. _9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…_and a huge gong sounds. The Hunger Games, even if it is a school replica, has begun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I sprint in to get the backpack and sprint out, slinging the pack over my shoulder as I go. As I'm running, I glance back, and see about three quarters of the people slamming their hands onto each other's monitors. A handful of sad-faced children are walking out of the arena, groaning to each other how short their time in the arena was.

Concentrating once again on the path of my flight, I swerve to avoid running into a tree. Birds fly overhead, and somewhere ahead of me, a chickadee sings. I remember my mother's tale of her Games, and remind myself to find water. Water is essential. I know these Games are just going to last a few hours, but it can seem like a few days. You could get hungry and thirsty in here just like real life.

I startle a rabbit, and watch it bound away. Then I look around me and observe my surroundings. There are tall trees everywhere, covering up the sky. I climb a tall oak to see how far I've come, and when I reach the top, I glance at the sky. The artificial sun is nearly at the top of distant mountains. I've been in the arena for nearly one hour. One hour down, seven more to go. Then I look around. All around me, a sea of green rolled without direction. I could see where the arena ended though; there was a slight shimmer at the edge of the trees and beyond that was the drab and gray school grounds.

Climbing lower into the branches, I choose a sturdy branch to stay the 'night'. Even though it has only been one hour, I am already exhausted, as if I had been running nonstop for a whole day instead of just an hour. As I sit on my branch, I look through my things. I probably should've done this earlier, but I was too busy trying to get out of range of the Cornucopia. From my backpack, I pull out a packet of dried meat. A pair of gloves with slits for fingers come out next. I realise how cold the night is, and pull them on. I plunge my hand again in my pack, and this time I come out lucky. In my hand is a small but lethal knife. I notice that the edges aren't actually sharp, but some sort of mechanism would probably allow me to eliminate someone with this weapon.

The moon rises into the frosty night, and I am glad that I had worn my thick jacket. I wonder where my opponents are. Suddenly, a loud bang echoes across the arena. I nearly fall out of my tree as I fumble around with the make-shift vine I had used to secure myself. Climbing higher to see what had happened, I am greeted by a blaze of light. Then, a picture appears in the sky. It is the girl tribute from Room One, her room number underneath her photo. Then comes up the her companion. I realise that this sequence of pictures must be whoever had been eliminated. Another twelve pictures flash by. Sylvia and Monty had both survived. With fourteen people already eliminated, there are only ten people left.

The pictures disappear from the sky, and I climb back down to consider my next move. Most of the people who are out are younger than me. The older ones are who I need to watch out for. I decide to set out to find water the next day. I can already feel my throat itching for the cool liquid. I close my eyes and fall asleep.

Birdsong wakes me, and I rub my eyes as I sit up on my branch. Before jumping down, I look around to make sure no one is here. Finally satisfied by my observation, I leap down stealthily. Nibbling on a piece of dried meat, I set off to search for water. A deer bounds past, it's hooves caked in mud, still glistening wet. I excitedly move through the undergrowth towards where the deer came from, and am rewarded with a small pond. I take quick gulps of water. Suddenly, a stick snaps behind me. I pull out my knife and turn around to come face to face with a startled boy. He is very young, maybe only nine. Unsure of what would happen if I used the knife, I quickly jab it at him. It doesn't hurt him, but his monitor beeps.

"No! I'm out of the game!" he shouts in frustration. He leaves all his items on the ground, and steps onto the ladder of a hovercraft that has just appeared. Horace peers out the window and waves. I glare at him, and he retreats his head.

I gather up the boy's things, and choose a tree. I scale up the trunk in seconds, and perch on a branch. The boy has some dried meat, a water flask that's empty and a sleeping bag. I climb down again to refill the water skin, and notice a rabbit. It is basking in the sun and hasn't noticed me yet. So I creep up to it, drawing my knife, then throw it. I get lucky and the knife lodges itself in the middle of the rabbit. I don't want to set up a fire, as the smoke will draw attention. So I carry the rabbit with me, and set off.

Soon, I get to a pile of rocks. I reach out tentatively to feel the stones, and draw back my hand immediately. The rocks are burning hot, and big enough to fry a rabbit…I suddenly get an idea. Getting out my rabbit, I skin it and place it on one of the rocks. After a few minutes, I smell roast meat and the sound of fat sizzling reaches my ears. Too eager to wait, I tear off a leg and immediately rip off meat and skin, appreciating the flavour and texture. After finishing one leg, I reach out for another. Soon, half the rabbit is devoured, and I let out a satisfied burp. Saving the rest for later, I explore the rock pile. The rocks are piled in a sort of pyramid, and when I look inside from a hole that I could wriggle through, there is a layer of hay forming a sort of nest. This could be my perfect camp.

Just as I am about to go inside, something growls behind me, and I turn around. I can't see anything, and I scan the trees anxiously. As my eyes gaze through the treetops, I spot a pair of clear amber eyes, calmly watching me. Suddenly, a huge golden cat lands on its paws and moves forwards, huge paw step by paw step. Tail whipping side to side, it advances slowly. Its amber eyes are slitted into narrow strips of menace, and as it gets nearer, it slides out a set of gleaming claws. Emitting a low snarl, it bunches its haunches, ready to pounce. Suddenly, I get inspiration. A wild predator like this cat could become a deadly ally. With this cat on my side, I would have a fair advantage over others. I try to calm it with soothing words, and for a moment, it stops advancing and cocks its head to one side. Pulling out a few slices of rabbit, I offer it to the cat, and it hesitantly pads forwards, sniffing at my hand. I realise its amber eyes has softened, looking up at me with trust now. I give it the rest of the rabbit, and it crunches up the bones in a few gulps. It lets out a contented purr and closes its eyes. Petting it a bit more, I sling my leg over its back, and tells it to run. Somehow, freakishly, it understands me and bounds to the trees. I look back, and swear I can see something else watching me. The trees rustle, and the eyes disappear. A prickly feeling starts at my neck and works its way down my spine, and I shudder. Trying to ignore the feeling, I turn back to our path, rocking slightly with the gait of the cat's pounces.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A loud snarling jolts me awake. It is the third day, which means there is still five more days. I look around for the source of noise, and realise that it's the cat. Drawing out my knife, I carefully get to my feet, searching the quiet woods with my eyes. The cat growls again, and this time I focus my eyes on the part of trees its facing. A pair of eyes blink back at me. Slowly, tentatively, a small boy shuffles out. For a moment, I don't recognise him, and I realise why. He has covered himself completely with mud, leaves and sticks, maybe to camouflage himself.

"I'm very sorry," he says sadly.

"What for?" I ask. He takes a step closer.

"I'm going to kill you." With that, he flicks his wrists, and long gleaming knives protrude from his fingers. They look scarily like claws. I guess that he is too caught up with the Game that he actually said kill, even though that's impossible.

Again, he advances, and I take a step back. Suddenly, he strikes. I leap to one side, and he whirls around to strike again. A loud roar announces the cat's arrival, as it flings itself onto the boy. Momentarily taken aback, I take my chance and thrust the knife towards him. His monitor beeps, and he waits for the hovercraft that would carry him out of the arena with a pouty expression. I inspect the cat, who is panting heavily. It lies on its side and starts to lick its fur. I look closely, and realise that it has been wounded. A long, deep gash splits its golden fur, and hot, red blood gushes out. Instinctively, I know it will die. Trying to calm it with soothing words, I stroke its head, and it licks my hand. Then, with a final breath, it rests its massive head onto my lap and stays there. I lean my ear down and listen. There is no heartbeat, and the body is still. The cat, my companion, my ally, is dead.

Stroking its fur for one last time, I get up and pack my things. My water is running low, and I need to get some more food. Setting off, I cast one more glance at the dead body of the cat, but it has disappeared. As I walk through the forest, a chickadee flies through the branches, and my spirits rise.

After what seems like many hours of walking, I reach a small river. I spot a bear fishing in it further upstream, and realise there's salmon swimming downstream. First, I refill my water flask, then try and find a way to catch the fish. Suddenly, a small silver package with a parachute floats down towards me. My mentor has sent me a gift! I rip open the container and a fine, silver net slips onto my hands. When I stretch it out, it is long enough to cover the length of the river. I smile, and take off my boots to wade into the river. Securing one side of the net on the bank with a rock, I splash across the river and fasten the other side with another rock. I splash back, and wait for the fish to come.

A big silver fish swims into the net and gets caught. I bring my net to the surface, and bashes the fish. It stops flopping and becomes still. I clean and gut the fish, then I start a small fire, in the trees, hoping the thick branches will block the smoke. I roast the fish over the fire and wait for it to cool before sinking my teeth into the flesh. I find some berries that I eat at home, and add that to flavour the fish.

After finishing all the fish and licking the bones clean, I go back to check my net. I am greeted by a loud growl from the bear. It seems like the net had blocked the bear's fish supply, and now it wants the fish back. I spot lots of fish struggling in the net, with the bear trying to get them out, while keeping an eye on me at the same time. Finally realising that the fish is stuck and won't swim away, it turns its shaggy head towards me and gives me its full, undivided attention. Oh-oh. A low menacing growl escapes from the bear's throat, and it pads forwards.

An arrow suddenly pierces through the air, and lodges itself in the bear's coat. Howling with rage, the bear swings its head to look for the person responsible. Its eyes land on me. Just as it is about to charge at me, another arrow pierces the bear's eye, then a volley of arrows fall from the sky. I quickly sprint towards the trees, hoping for some sort of shelter there. When I look back, the bear is lying on the rocks, still, with arrows sticking out everywhere.

The arrows had come from across the river, so I don't bother crossing. Deciding to follow the river instead, I walk along the shore, but inside the tree line. The sun starts to set, and I climb a tall tree to spend the night. The loud bang echoes across the forest, and this time I am greeted by the face of the boy who tried to eliminate me with his long knives. Turns out he was from Room Two. Then, it is the face of the girl from Room Six, and the boy from Room Eleven.

I try to remember who else is still in the game, and form a list in my head. There's Sofya's sister, Sylvia, and her best friend, Monty. Somehow they had managed to survive. Then there's the boy from Room Six. Tomas is still in the game, as well as Mikka from Room Eight. Bulldozer, the bully from Room Nine is also still in. This surprises me, as I thought he would've gotten eliminated in the bloodbath. Or while he was cooking something over a fire. Or something equally stupid. The boy and the girl from Room Ten are both alive, and this doesn't surprise me. They are both excellent athletes, and would no doubt have an advantage while chasing someone or hand-to-hand combat.

I count them off my fingers. There are eight left, not including me. And I still need to find out who it is that had shot the bear. They had a bow. All I have is a small knife, and that isn't good for far-range attacks, or against a sword or spear or something else that is longer. Hopefully, I will be able to eliminate him or her, and get their weapon. While I was thinking about this, the moon had risen, and the whole forest has been turned silver.

I suddenly remember that I had left my net at the river, in my hurry to shelter from the arrows. Thinking that it would be too dangerous to return for it, I decide to leave it. Hopefully the other tribute won't be able to untangle it from all the rocks I put on it to weigh it down.

I climb back down to rest, and hope the next day will bring better news for me.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this chapter's VERY short, even for me. I just wanted it to end there, and I honestly couldn't really think about anything else to add in. I didn't do any ANs before because…well I actually don't have a reason. So from now on, I'm going to **_**try**_** to do ANs at the beginnings and ends of each chapter. Starting from the end of this chapter. I'll also **_**try**_** to update once every week.**

**Anyway, please stay for the next chapter, and review/follow/favourite! Thanks for reading this chapter! **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: If it's in another person's POV, it will say on the top. The horizontal line means another person's POV. If there isn't another person's name it means it's Prim's POV. Also, everyone's POV except for Prim's will be in the third person, and in past tense. Sorry if this is confusing!**

**Thanks to Stronger123, who has reviewed ALL chapters so far!**

**Thanks for reading so far, hope you guys like it!**

**I realised I forgot to do the disclaimer for the chapters before this, sorry! Here's the disclaimer for all the chapters before, as well as this time's.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, and any characters here, except for OCs.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Horace**

Horace looked up from his monitors and screens that he had installed in the school's ICT room. Everything was going to plan. He looked once again at the screens. That Mellark kid, Katniss and Peeta's daughter, was surprisingly good. She was still in the game, and already half the time had passed.

He went over the plan again. The practice round was coming along nicely. He knew he could do it. All he had to do was find a team of highly trained engineers. Shouldn't be too hard, with all the rebels from the Capitol.

Looking through his notes on his desk, he checked there were no mistakes. A mistake would be fatal. He couldn't afford any errors. He had to get back at Haymitch. His cousin. The traitor. His cousin's whole family was a traitor. His mother brought it with her.

Getting angry, Horace scrunched up his plans. _Deep breaths. In, out. In, out._ Calming down, he smoothed out the papers again. He looked up at the screens again. _I will get back at you, Haymitch Abernathy._

* * *

When I wake up, a blast of sunlight hits me in the face. I carefully climb down, checking that no one else is close by. It is the fourth day. The games are half over.

Suddenly, a loud, bloodcurdling scream cuts through the silent forest. It is abruptly cut short. The birds start to sing again.

Heart pounding, I glance at the direction of the screaming. Time to move on. Jogging in the direction opposite of the screaming, I quickly run over the people left in my head. There were nine people left, but someone has just been eliminated. It's down to the last eight.

I pass a clump of blackberries. At least, I _think_ they're blackberries. With no time to waste, I ditch them and continue onwards.

Soon, I come to the river again. I don't like the emptiness, the absence of the trees. My eyes dart around. And spot a flash of silver. _My net!_ I recognise my net, slipping through the trees. Seems like the person with the bow and arrows had managed to untangle it.

Stalking the person through the trees, I creep quietly towards the shadowy figure. I can make out the shape of a boy now, and silently draw out my knife. He pauses and checks his pouch, then says in a clear voice, "I know you're there. Don't try to throw your knife."

He startles me. I didn't expect him to know I was there. I hesitate, and that's all he needs. He pulls out a sword with startling speed, and tries to plunge it into me. Fortunately, he is inexperienced with it. As he passes by me on an attempt to kill me, I strike him with my knife. His monitor beeps, and a hovercraft appears. He carefully places all his items on the ground, and looks up at me with a calm expression. "Good game."

And with that, he is gone, stuck to the ladder of the hovercraft that is sliding smoothly into its compartment.

I sort through his stuff. And find some _very_ interesting weapons. He has my bow, and a quiver full of arrows. I test them out, and thankfully, they work fine. Even though yesterday was my first lesson, I have been sneaking out to the forest and using my mother's weapons. She had never noticed.

A twig snaps. I whirl around. I see the girl who always wins the sprinting races, the girl from Room Ten. I load the bow and let the arrow fly, all in one smooth movement. Her monitor beeps. I retrieve my arrow that has bounced off her, and watch her board the hovercraft. Already, two people had been eliminated, out of the game. Six people left.

The sun is starting to sink, and I gather up my stuff to sort them in a high tree, away from prying eyes. Once I am high in the branches, I look through the rest of the boy's things. He has a small knife, as well as the bow and arrows, and my net. He also has some sort of honey liquid, that tastes sweet, like nectar, when I dab a bit on my tongue. The girl, on the other hand, has quite disappointing items. All I have from her is a small torch. Sure, it will help me see in the darkness, but other people will also see me! I wonder what she needed it for, and how she survived.

I watch the slideshow of who had died. Only the people I had eliminated were on the screen. Six people left in the arena. Three more days. I sigh and close my eyes.

* * *

**Horace**

Horace looked up at the screen, eyes red and puffy from staring at electronics for hours on end. Although his plan was coming on quite nicely, he still needed a way to determine that he had actually gotten revenge. He needed a way to finish with a bang.

And suddenly, he had a brainwave. Haymitch probably only cared about the tributes he mentored. He didn't have any family, apart from Horace. Even though Haymitch was dead, Horace knew he could still have the satisfaction of getting him back.

He swiped a pencil from a desk in the room. He didn't care who it was. Turning his plans over, he started to write down how he would get revenge.

His mind was working on overload. Ideas were pumping in from everywhere. Haymitch cared about the tributes he mentored. If his tributes were unhappy, he would care. In District Twelve, only two tributes actually were alive. And they had a daughter. A perfect way to get revenge.

Cackling evilly, Horace finished with a flourish and a flick of his wrist. He was feeling actually quite good. Looking back at the screens, he made a mental note to search through his lists to find the perfect District partner for Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen's daughter.

He leaned back on his chair. Everything was going as planned.

* * *

**AN: Hehehe….Horace is planning something! Thanks for reading this chapter. Please review! If you hate it, tell me in a review. If you love it, tell me in a review. Reviews help!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Thanks to Sparklestar, Stronger123 and RueThisDay for reviewing in the last chapter!**

**I didn't realise the horizontal lines don't show up in FanFiction if you put them on in Word, so I re-uploaded the previous chapter. Sorry for any confusion!**

**Also, I am very annoyed. I wrote a LOT, then for some reason, my computer shut down. Obviously, being the person I am, I didn't save. So I had to rewrite the chapter! :'( GRRRR! This is the reason the update's so late. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

Sunlight filters from the trees, waking me up. I gently leap down onto the ground. The third to last day. Six people left.

I walk for a long time, and the sun is beating down at me when I finally stop at a small meadow. In the middle of it is a small shelter, and a dying fire is burning down to its last embers. I look around cautiously, hoping the owner of this shelter isn't here. He or she isn't. Sneaking in with light steps, I step into the shelter.

Inside, it's dark, and my eyes take a while to adjust to the gloom. On one side of the shelter is a sleeping bag. I take it and stuff it in my pack. On the other side is a pile of weapons, ranging from knives to swords. I grab another knife and all the arrows. Time to go now.

When I get out of the shelter, I quickly sprint for the trees. Suddenly, I hear a loud crashing noise from behind me. I run faster, pumping my legs and arms. A hand stretches out and tries to grab hold of my backpack. It misses. I will my limbs to move faster, to bring me to safety.

The trees gradually thin out and I find myself in the clearing with the Cornucopia. There, I see Tomas and…is it Bulldozer? They are moving weapons and supplies into the horn. Maybe that's their camp. Running harder than before, I charge straight at them. When they see me sprinting towards them, they pull out their knives, hoping to eliminate me. But then they see the cause of my flight and forget about me. We all run away, Bulldozer screaming, and sprint to the Cornucopia. I try to clamber on, but I can't get a grip on the smooth edges of the horn.

Finally admitting defeat, I turn around to face my pursuer, which, to my surprise, is Raypan from Room Eight. He is known for anger management issues. Or as the teachers call it, he is 'emotionally challenged'. Now he is running towards me, hands straight ahead, getting closer and closer. And I am frozen, unable to move or breathe.

A knife suddenly whizzes through the air and pierces Raypan. He is still charging at me, but suddenly, an invisible force stops him and a hovercraft carries him upwards. The expression on his face is hilarious.

"Hey, you're pretty brave. And you must be smart to make it through so many days." Tomas slides down next to me and looks me in the eye. Big mistake. "We could form an alliance, us three. Me and Bull- uh, I mean Martin, are already working together. How about we work as a team of three?"

I stare at him coldly. Unfortunately for him, I could tell if someone is lying, _especially_ if I can see their eyes. And his are telling me not to join.

"Why would I join you? How do I know I can trust you?" I ask these questions, even though I have already decided on my answer.

"Well, I really want to know you more. What room are you in? What's your name?" He asks these as if they're normal questions. I gape at him. He doesn't even know that I'm in the same room as him!

"Actually, I think you _should_ know what room I'm in and what my name is. Considering that you are in my room." I glare at him with icicles. "So, no. I'm not going to join this excuse of an alliance, or even consider it. Why would I work with _you?_" I thrust as many force as I can on the last word. How dare he?!

His mouth is gaping like the goldfish Jako had when he was younger. "You're in my class?" he finally whispers, his cool-and-calm act dropped now. "How come I never knew?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're too _bigheaded and only think about yourself_? Add that to the fact that you never even _look_ at people lesser than yourself. And, to you, everyone is of that status." I can't believe he is so stupid! "No wonder you have no friends. Or at least real ones."

He is speechless with shock, as he finally comes to the realisation - not everyone adores, admires, or even likes him. Then, his expression hardens. "I really want you in my alliance. And what I want, I will have. So, I'm actually sorry for doing this, but it was your choice. You could've chosen the easier option and just accepted the alliance. You didn't have to make it harder."

I don't understand what he's talking about, until I see a huge wooden bat that he is holding. He raises it upwards, and brings it down on my head. I don't even have time to cover it with my hands to protect myself. Then, the world turns black.

* * *

Tomas was sorry he had to hit the girl. He liked her fiery personality, and her stubbornness. She would make a great member to his team. Unfortunately, she just _had_ to ruin all the friendliness and practically asked to be hit. And now, he had to wait for her to come to before he could negotiate some terms with her. Thankfully, he still had Bulldozer to do his work for him.

He still couldn't believe the girl was in his class. Or any of the things she had told him. Not everyone liked him? _Everyone_ liked him. He had loads of friends…he thought about his friends. Was the girl right? Did he have no 'real friends'? He went over everything he knew about his 'friends'. They were there for him in every sports game, went to everything with him. Then he remembered the worst day of his life.

It was a few years ago, his third year at school. He had already made friends, and they did _everything_ together. Then, one day, he saw a small girl with dark hair and blue eyes. She looked like she had a lot of food. On the other hand, he didn't have anything to eat. His stomach was grumbling fiercely and when he begged his friends for some, they refused. Finally, they told him to go take some from someone else. So he went to the girl. And instead of asking politely, he snatched her brown paper bag and ran away. When he peeked inside, he nearly fainted from all the good smells. There were loaves of bread inside, and they were all somehow freshly baked. Quickly, he began stuffing it all into his mouth. He paused to look around, and see the girl who he had taken it from. He could see the hurt and anger in her face, and immediately felt guilty. But all the bread had been stuffed into his mouth. Suddenly, the bell rang and he rushed to his class with his head down.

Maybe the girl was the same one as before? They looked the same, both small and agile, both with dark hair and bright blue eyes that made you think she could read your thoughts, read your soul.

His friends didn't do anything to help him. Instead, they had left him to fend for himself. Even now, sometimes they didn't really care about whether he was okay. Sometimes, he wondered if they actually were true friends.

Sighing, he watched the moon rise. Then, he turned back into the Cornucopia where the girl was still out cold and Bulldozer was snoring, and lay down beside them. He let his mind wander, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

**AN: FINALLY finished rewriting! Tomas isn't actually going to be a 'Peeta'. He's just going to be this really annoying person. I have another person in mind for Prim…*rub hands together evilly***

**Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here's the next chapter of Daughter of Fire! Chapter 7! Thanks to love-isnt-always-easy, Sparklestar, Stronger123, RueThisDay and Mistycat62 for reviewing.**

**This chapter is dedicated to love-isnt-always-easy, she came up with the idea. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Do you ****_really_**** think I'm good enough to own the Hunger Games? Yeah…I thought so. I don't own it…**

* * *

I wake up in the late afternoon with a huge bump on my head and an infuriating headache.

"Wh-what happened?" I ask groggily as the world around me spins around. I wait for it to stop and focus on a face - Tomas's face.

"You are safe now. We'll protect you," he whispers to me. I glare at him. I don't need anyone's help, _especially_ his!

"We need food. I'm going hunting." I gather up my stuff and put it into my backpack. Maybe I can sneak away with the game when I've finished hunting.

But, to my surprise and dismay, Tomas gets up and brushes off the non-existing dirt on his trousers. "I'm coming with you." There is a stubborn and defiant look on his face and I know he isn't going to stay, no matter what I say. I sigh and give up. I might as well get some hunting done, and at least he can watch my back so I wouldn't have to glance behind my shoulder every few minutes.

We set off into the woods opposite from where I had run to in the beginning of the Games. Soon, after travelling a long time without seeing any signs of suitable prey, we come to a wide and slow river. The water is rippling gently with the breeze and a flock of ducks is paddling lazily on the calm water, giving off the occasional quack. My eyes light up and all my senses go on overdrive. Food. My stomach is growling in anticipation of the to-be roast duck, fat sizzling as it will be cooked over a slow fire.

I load an arrow into my bow and take aim. It flies through the air and pierces my target. The flock takes flight and I load another arrow to try and shoot another one.

The flock is flying towards the trees on the other side of the river, when I hear a loud high-pitched scream. I look around for Tomas, and realise he isn't where he had been standing and immediately gaze around the river for any signs of him.

After searching the forest for a long time, I find him cowered against a tree, shaking and quivering. When I get close to him he whirls around, his eyes hollow and scared. Suddenly forgetting our past hatred, I reach out to comfort him. But when I stretch out my arm, he recoils, distrust in his eyes.

"Hey. What's wrong? Are you ok?" I ask. Maybe this is my cue to eliminate him, but I am truly curious about his strange behaviour.

He stares up at me before finally whispering eerily, "The ducks are out to get me." He sounds so sincere, so scared, that I start cracking up. He was scared of _ducks_? No, this must be a joke. "Hey, stop laughing. It's not funny. How would _you_ feel if a flock of ducks were hunting for you?"

Just then, a few ducks fly into our clearing and Tomas lets out a high-pitched scream. So _that's_ who it was before. He put his hands up over his face, trying to protect it as best as he can. I realise that this fear of ducks isn't a joke. However funny and idiotic it may seem, he is truly freaked out by them.

The ducks fly over to us and start pecking at Tomas. It's as if they can sense who is afraid and is targeting him. He doesn't do anything to stop them even though he has an assortment of knives strapped to his belt, ready to use.

That's when I get a good look at the ducks. They are big - way too big - and their beaks are longer and sharper than usual. A few feathers fall to the ground and I pick them up. They are sharper than knives, although they can't hurt me. Then, something beeps, and I tear my gaze away from the feather. Tomas is lying on the ground, tears trickling down his grimy face. His monitor is beeping, and a hovercraft appears to transport him out. The remaining ducks shoot me a glare, as if to say _Until next time_ then fly away silently.

I walk off with a feather in my hand and look straight ahead, never glancing back once at my fallen not-really-ally. I have gained a new weapon - the feather is good enough to eliminate someone.

* * *

I head back to the Cornucopia and poke my head inside. Bulldozer is still snoring. I take a deep breath and grasp the bottom of the feather with my hands. Better get this over and done with. Before I chicken out, I bring it up above my head and thrust it down, plunging it into his chest. The sudden beeping in the quietness wakes him up. He roars in frustration and anger and tries to grab me, but a long claw from a hovercraft outside wraps around him and takes him outside.

I sigh in relief and take anything I might find useful. A packet of dried meat and fruit goes into my backpack along with a small knife and my net.

I tick the remaining tributes off my fingers. Sylvia and Monty are still in the game. Kayton - the boy twin from Room Six. Mikka from Room Eight. My eyes harden. Two down, four to go.

* * *

**AN: Sorry it's so short…it seemed so long in my notebook, but when I typed it up…yeah.**

**Thanks to Sophie (do you mind me using your name? It's in your profile anyway…) AKA love-isnt-always-easy for coming up with the idea. I hope it wasn't too bad…**

**Random fact: I've found a new face thingie! :{ it's a moustache man XD**

**Enough of me ranting. Please review, I've had 500 views and only 21 reviews! If you are one of those people who always read the story and never review, review now! Or I will retreat to my little hidey-hole and never come out to write anything else! (Ok, a little over-dramatic)**

**So…Moustache-Man signing out! :{**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I'm so sorry for updating late! I don't know, I think my writing style for this story is kinda old-fashioned…I don't usually write like this, I write way more humorously. So…I'll try change my writing style? Tell me what you think. Oh, and also, it's the holidays, so I'll try to update faster.**

**Thanks to Stronger123, hasahaha and Mistycat62 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. Why would you think that?**

* * *

I wake up to the sound of screaming. Looking around, I quickly grab my stuff and crawl to the end of my branch. There, the leaves thin out, so I can see everything, but it is still hard for anyone to see me. Below me, Kayton is sprawled on the ground. Monty and Sylvia are smirking at him, each holding a knife. Kayton is staring up at them, eyes wide in fear. With a quick and fluid motion, Monty plunges his knife down and Kayton's monitor beeps.

I think quickly. If I let Monty and Sylvia go now, I might not see them again, and I will never get another chance to eliminate them.

I take out two arrows and load my bow. Below me, Monty and Sylvia are hi-fiving, and Sylvia is giggling about something Monty has said. Aiming for Sylvia first, I hold my breath and pray she won't move, and shoot. It hits her head and her monitor beeps. Monty looks around, trying to find the person responsible for his friend's elimination but finds no one. I quickly nock another arrow into my bow. But just as I shoot, he moves out of the way and the arrow sinks into the trunk of the tree behind him.

He quickly gathers up his weapons and supplies before running away, out of range. The hovercraft carries Sylvia away, and I wait a few more minutes before jumping down, just to be safe. Then I start walking in the direction Monty had gone. I have a tribute to eliminate.

* * *

I travel through the night, into the last day. At night, the forest is transformed from a bright, sunny, cheerful place to a dark, eery, shadowy place. As I walk through the ominous trees, I shiver. An owl hoots and I jump at everything that moves. Finally, when the sun has risen above the tree line and the sky has turned from pink to blue, I hear metal clanging upon metal. I climb a tree out of instinct and watch through the leaves.

A few moments afterwards, Monty crashes through the bushes, followed by an angry looking Mikka. I have the impression of an angry bull chasing someone wearing red. I try my best to follow them through the trees, but climbing through branches is much more harder than running on the ground. Praying that they don't hear the branches rustling overhead, I move a branch out of my way.

I look into a small clearing full of swaying grass. Monty is still running, slowed by the plants. Mikka is also having some trouble, but she manages to catch up to Monty. She deliberately trips him with her foot and he sprawls on the ground.

"Nighty night," she sneers and slowly unsheathes a long, gleaming sword. She turns it this way and that, admiring its cruel beauty. Then, she points it at Monty, who is trying hard not to whimper or show any fear. Still, she drags the process out, twisting sword blade this way and that. _Just stab him, already!_ I think angrily, but she still thinks about a something for a long time before looking back at him. He can't escape - her foot is planted firmly on his chest. Instead, all he can do is look at her with pleading eyes, but she pays no attention to him.

Mikka seemed to make some decision, and she smiles slightly before looking back down at him. Grinning at his frightened expression, she digs the sword in a little deeper, but not deep enough to harm him.

"Just do it already! What are you waiting for?" shouts Monty. I find myself nodding my head in agreement, then quickly stop before the rustling branches reveal my position. Finally, he is so frustrated that he wriggles for a bit and pulls out a sword of his own. So that was what the sound before was. He tries to reach up at her with his weapon, but she lazily parries his blow and flicks her wrist so his sword clutters on the ground far away, useless. She must have been trained - all her movements were smooth and confident, and they weren't like those random slashing moves some other obviously untrained people make.

Finally, she is satisfied enough with waiting around, and slowly presses her sword in. Monty's monitor beeps, and she steps back, still fingering her sword.

Quickly, I take out an arrow. Mikka is still smirking at Monty, who is climbing the ladder from the hovercraft. I pray that my arrow doesn't miss - I'm already sick of this 'school Hunger Games' - and shoot. Thankfully, it hits her and she turns around, looking for the person responsible. I jump down and grin at her. She glares at me, before jumping onto the ladder.

I take a deep breath. My brain is working slowly, and I keep thinking there is something I should be remembering. Looking around, I rack my brains, hoping to clear my head.

Suddenly, a trumpeting sound blares out through invisible speakers. Startled, I look around.

"Congratulations to...Prim Mellark, who is the winner of the District Twelve School Games!" Horace's voice booms through speakers. And that's when it hits me. I have won. I have won the games that I never wanted to participate in, the games created by an adult who had been warned against trusting. Shakily, I notice a ladder beside me, attached to a hovercraft above me. I climb on, still dazed, and the ladder moves upwards, retracting into the aircraft above me.

In the aircraft, Horace is smiling, but I can tell it's forced. He is congratulating me, and I can tell it's fake. But I nod my head and go along with it, because I honestly don't know what else to do. I look out the window as we fly to the school hall, where everyone is waiting for us. The twenty three other tributes are also there, some angry, some jealous, some calm, and some bored. I search the sea of faces until I find Sofya. She gives me a thumbs-up and grins at me. I can't help grinning back, and when the hovercraft lands, she is the first to reach me and congratulate me.

"Great job! I can't believe you won!" she babbles. I smile at my best friend's enthusiasm.

"Sofya, maybe you could tune down a little?" I say. She grins apologetically, and steps back to let everyone else talk to me. Everyone tells me the same thing - either how well I've done, or how they couldn't believe it when I had won. Or something along the lines of that.

Finally, a teacher ushers me into the hall and Horace leads me onto the stage and hands me a small medal, and everything goes past so quickly I don't remember most of it. But one thing I do remember is when Horace hands me my medal, he leans in, supposingly hugging me, and whispers in my ear, "This isn't over." Then he leans back and acts as if nothing has happened, and smiles cheerily at me. But under the layer of happiness, I can detect a trace of anger and hate. Still, I put on a fake smile, and shake his hand.

Everyone still tries to talk to me until I tell them to stop, to go away, that I need to go now. But I know they'll be bugging me tomorrow when I get to school.

* * *

When I get home, my brother seems to have caught onto the festive spirit the rest of the school has. He keeps on bouncing up and down, asking me questions about the Games. I'm too tired to answer any of his questions, and watching him jump around is making my head spin.

"Can't you just shut up already? I've got a headache, and you're just making it worse. And the Games weren't even that good, they weren't scary or exciting, they were just boring. So just go to your room and play with your rock collection, or whatever you usually do, and stop bothering me," I snap, then mentally hit myself. Jako is staring at me, hurt on his face, as if I have just slapped him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. Really, just ignore everything I said." Tears are already starting to trickle down his face, and his mouth is open in shock. I'm very angry with myself - how could I lash out at him like that? It wasn't his fault in the first place. We couldn't argue, couldn't fight, in case something like _that_ happened again...

* * *

_We're walking back from school - it has been a long and tiring day, as well as being Jako's first day at school. We walk round the corner to our house, and nearly bump into Bulldozer and his gang._

_"Watch where you're going," he sneers at us before exchanging a look with his friends, and snickering. "We wouldn't want you to be hurt, now, would we?"_

_I'm confused. It's obvious they've planned something, but what? Shrugging, we go inside and I look through the cupboards for something to eat. My parents are out late tonight, and they've given me the role of cooking dinner. As I emerge with a packet of meat, Jako screams from his room. I drop the food and jump up the stairs, scared for my little brother. When I reach his room, I'm thrown into an explosion of light. I stand there, awed, until I realise there's the smell of burning. Jako screams and shakes me, bringing me out of my trance. Fire. The building is burning, the smoke clogging up the room._

_"Come, Jako, we need to get out of here!" I shout and drag him run down the stairs, through the suffocating smoke, and burst out of the door, just in time to see the rest of the building go up in flames. I look around and notice a figure in the smoke. I run closer, intent on finding out who it is, and catch the person laughing. I see the face of Bulldozer before he turns and runs off, still cackling. Shivering, I jog back to Jako, who is still staring at the remains of our house. Together, we watch it slowly get beaten by the water from our neighbours. We stay like that until the last of the flames disappear._

* * *

I shake my head. Now wasn't the time to get lost in memories. Sighing, I turn back to Jako.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

"It's ok, Prim," says Jako. I smile at him. He can be so sweet and forgiving. I can't imagine what I would do without him.

"Come, let's go eat now." With that, we walk down the stairs for snacks.

* * *

**AN: Whoa...this was a long chapter.**

**If you have any suggestions for this story, feel free to tell me. Please review, I'll reply to all of them, if I can (if you review as a guest I can't...). Tell me if you liked this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm very very sorry I haven't been updating. I'm sure you don't want to hear my super long list of excuses :/**

**Also, I'm very very sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I wanted to get it up and posted.**

**Thanks to hasahaha, Mistycat62, Sophie, RueThisDay and Stronger123 for reviewing. You guys are awesometastic! :D**

**Disclaimer: I own the Hunger Games! Wait... No... I don't...**

* * *

_-2 years later-_

I walk to school one morning and wait in the usual place for Sofya to walk to our classroom together - Room Nine.

Instead, a shrill bell rings and everyone, children and teachers, run outside to see what's going on. A small lady with bright orange curls and a scarily pale face steps out of a hovercraft that lands in our school grounds. She is escorted by two armed men dressed in white suits. They look like people from our textbooks, the lady from the Capitol, and the men peacekeepers. The men are even holding the guns from the pictures. I wonder what they're here for.

The lady holds up a microphone and speaks with a strange accent. "I am Sinelle Chirp, and I am your escort." She finishes with a wide smile. I'm confused, and when I look around, I can see others are too. _Escort for what?_

She sees our confused expressions and hurriedly explains, her expression turning stony. "Escort to the Hunger Games. The 76th Hunger Games. And if you don't cooperate," she adds, "We're not afraid to use violence to force you." She smirks, and the man on her left pats his gun, which seems to be loaded.

"We won't go! You can't force us! The Capitol is destroyed!" someone shouts out. Sinelle glares at him and gestures to her bodyguards. One of them lifts up his gun and shoots. The man crumples to the ground. Everyone is silent now.

Sinelle keeps on talking. "We will put all the names of the girls and boys aged twelve to eighteen in a draw. Anyone who refuses will be killed immediately." She lets the threat hang in the air. I look around, and for the first time, I notice men in the same white suits - Peacekeepers - all around us, surrounding us. There are more Peacekeepers than the people listening to her, which is all the children, teachers, and some locals who heard her speech and are now in the crowd.

She surveys us with narrowed eyes, then waves her hand to the Peacekeepers, who back away. Now what is she doing?

"You lot are way too scruffy and are dressed so poorly." She wrinkles her pointed nose and carries on. "Also, I know a lot of the children required are not here. So tomorrow, at noon, everyone will meet in the town square, where the reaping used to be held, and all children will be standing in age order. If anyone is absent, we will know. And the consequences aren't going to be very good."

With that, she turns on her heel, and walks off. Everyone is standing in stunned silence. _What just happened?_ I wonder. The people near me are agitatedly whispering. I turn to Sofya, and see my shocked expression mirrored in her face.

They wouldn't start the Hunger Games again. How could they, with the Capitol destroyed, without any mentors, without the arena? Even though there were Peacekeepers, I doubt they can force the whole of District 12 - _and_ the twelve other districts - to give up two children. Especially not if it was for the Hunger Games.

I'm still churning all this over in my brain, when Mr Fletcher blows on his whistle. The sharp sound silences the crowd for a moment, then the chattering begins again. He blows on the whistle again, louder this time, and everyone stops speaking.

"Finally," he mutters, his expression shocked, then shouts to the people assembled in front of him. "Teachers, take your classes back." The crowd starts moving, and soon, the courts are empty.

The rest of the day passes by normally, and before long, it's time for me and Jako to go home. We walk home in silence, and I know that this morning's events are also on his mind.

* * *

When we go inside, we see the baker, a good friend of our father's, sitting at the table and talking to my parents. They look at us when we arrive, and gesture for us to come over. My father glances at my mother before talking to us. "Did a strange lady come to your school?"

Jako intervenes just as I open my mouth to speak. "Yeah, she looked really weird! She had orange hair, and her face was all pale!"

I glare at him for interrupting me, then reluctantly say, "Yeah, she _did_ look weird, like one of those Capitol people from our History lessons. And she had a weird accent. There were also people in white clothes, like the Peacekeepers in the books. And they shot a man..."

I trail off, not sure about the fate of the man. It had scared the other people into listening to her, and I'm sure the man's injury is quite serious. He's probably scarred for life.

My parents exchange a glance, then silently agree on something.

"I think we should go to this meeting, in case she really _did_ mean the threat, and we wouldn't want her to test out her..._ consequences_." My father says the last word with obvious disgust, and a faraway look in his eyes suggest his mind's on something else - probably his own Games._  
_

I glance away, feeling a bit awkward. Today feels just like a couple of years ago, when Horace visited. I didn't know what to do or say, and instead I stare at a dandelion planted in a pot on the windowsill. The plant hasn't bloomed yet, although it's coming close to.

The awkward silence is broken by the baker, who pushes his chair back and stands up. "I think it's time for me to get going now."

My parents walk him to the door, and he waves before strolling away.

The rest of the evening passes by normally, and when I wake up in the morning, I feel like nothing different had happened yesterday.

* * *

I walk to school like normal, with Jako. But Sofya isn't there waiting for me, like usual. The school seems emptier than usual, and when I look into my classroom, my teacher Mrs Chowley, and the rest of my class isn't there. I quickly look into the other classes. They're all empty.

I check the entire school - the library, cafeteria, field, playground, everywhere.

There is no one.

Jako returns from his trip around the school and I realise that maybe they're at the town square, for the reaping that I still don't think is real. Maybe they have all their fancy guns and weapons, but that doesn't mean they can force a whole district into handing over two children.

I still jog over to check, Jako following me. We reach there in a few minutes, and are amazed by what we see. A silent crowd, standing in age order, is assembled in front of the stage.

And on the stage, next to a large glass ball full of paper slips, is Sinelle Chirp.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this chapter, and sorry for not posting it sooner.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I've noticed that this story has nearly reached 50 reviews, and to me, that's a huge achievement. So I'm going to give a shout-out to the 50th reviewer in the next chapter.**

**Thanks to KatnissCahill, Seabound, krikanalo, RueThisDay, Sophie, and apparently myself that's supposed to be Mistycat62, who accidently reviewed with my account, for reviewing - your reviews mean the world to me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

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**Chapter 10**

Sinelle's eyes darts around, narrowing when she notices us latecomers. Her mouth is set into a grim line and as we sidle into our age groups that are standing in clumps in front of the stage she mutters something to the Peacekeeper beside her.

The group of sixteen year olds girls make a gap for me and I stand in place, thankful for the dress my school requires us to wear. At least I can look presentable. I look around, over the tops of the heads around me and find Jako amidst the bunch of twelve year old boys. I sigh in relief - he is safe. Or, at least safe for now.

Everyone's heads turns toward a small group of children that are dragged to the square by Peacekeepers. They're crying and their faces are streaked with tears and snot. Their eyes are wide with fear and I recognise them, with a pang of sympathy and pity, as the homeless kids that roamed the streets every day and sheltered in a different place every night. The Peacekeepers handle them roughly and drag them into a small group. They huddle on the sides and their eyes dart around, as if they're expecting an attack.

"We found them hiding in the streets," reports a man gruffly. He talked about them as if he was talking about vermin. Like they weren't humans.

"Good! Are there any more people who are meant to be here that are hanging around in town?"

The man shakes his head. "We combed the entire area."

Sinelle's smile widens, although anyone can tell its fake and forced. "Excellent! We can get started, then!" She rubs her hands together excitedly. "Ladies first!"

And I'm suddenly reminded of my mother's reaping, and like her, I'm hoping that it's not me, that it'a not me. My stomach feels clenched and there's something blocking my throat so I can't breathe. And like my mother's reaping, it's not me.

She pulls out a slip and calls out in a clear voice, "Fi Higgory."

I can suddenly breathe now and my stomach feels normal and I'm relieved that I wasn't chosen, that I am safe. I look around and see a path being made for a girl, who seems older than me. But she's frozen, standing like a deer caught between headlights.

Suddenly, she turns and threads her way between the people behind her who are too shocked to stop her. When she reaches the edge of the crowd, she faces everyone and shouts, "I won't be a piece in your games! I will never go! I'll die before I do!"

She whips her head around and starts sprinting away from the crowd, away from the horrible fate she would have if she stayed.

But before she can get anywhere, a peacekeeper holds up his gun, aims, and shoots. And the bullet doesn't miss. Her body is pierced, and I watch her crumple to the ground in slow motion. Her white blouse is starting to be stained with blossoms of red and she twitches once, twice, then moves no more.

The man who shot her pokes her with the toe of his boot. She is still. He examines her thoroughly but quickly, before proclaiming her dead. Sinelle is expressionless, possibly even bored. She sighs, and reaches her hand inside the glass bowl again. And again, my stomach is clenched so tightly and I can't breathe and I'm hoping that whoever she pulls out, it's not me, and it's not someone I know. Because I know I'll feel guilty every day if it was, even someone like Bulldozer. And as she's opening her mouth to read out the name, I'm feeling faint and I sway on my legs which have seemed to turn into jelly.

But she reads the name out loud and clear, and my heart sinks. Because despite all my hoping, all the silent prayers in my head, the name she calls out is familiar. Too familiar.

She calls out Prim Mellark.

* * *

I am shocked. My breathing is catching in my throat, and my legs are shaky as I slowly climb the steps to the stage. I can feel the eyes of everyone on me, piercing my back with their gazes. I gulp.

I've always hated being in the spotlight. Any small acknowledgement about me, and I would feel uncomfortable. I mean, just because I achieve something, which is quite rarely, doesn't mean you have to announce it to everyone! And now, everyone's eyes are trained on me, and I can't duck my head and hide, like I usually do. I have to be strong. Or at least look strong.

I fight back tears as I stand on the stage and survey the crowd assembled in front of me. As my eyes sweep around, my gaze lands on a particular person who has just come. No, a particular two people.

My mother is pushing through the crowd, alarm apparent on her face. Peacekeepers are trying to push her back, but my father is stopping them. Sinelle is looking coldly at them, but makes no attempt to stop them. When my mother finally reaches the stage, her face is creased with worry and sadness, and something else. She reaches up and I bend down, holding her hand with my fingers. I forget about all the people around me, the audience watching my every move.

Finally, after what seems like a lifetime, she lets go and smiles sadly. "Take care, will you?"

I nod, unable to speak, and blink back the tears in my eyes. My father comes up and also reaches out to me. And now, the tears are really threatening to spill.

Sinelle clears her throat rudely, interrupting us. My mother glares at her before sighing and looking back at me. "Remember to survive," she says, before retreating back into the crowd. My father follows her after glancing at me sadly.

I choke back a sob. Sinelle pulls me back roughly and I let her lead me.

If I want to come back alive, I'll have to win the Games. And to win the games, I'll have to kill.

Sighing, I watch Sinelle pull out a name for the boy. "Kumin Bronson."

I don't recognise that name, and a boy from the group of homeless children on the sides. He seems quite small, but then, all of them do.

He walks up to the stage, face grim and determined, showing no signs of alarm, shock or breaking down. I wonder how his parents will react, before I remember he has no parents. I feel slightly guilty - mine had displayed such affection, while he had no one. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts hating me or is at least jealous.

"Let's give our two newest tributes a round of applause!" says Sinelle in a fake cheery voice.

No one moves. No one is clapping.

Sinelle glares at everyone until she gives up. I thank the District silently for rebelling, for making sure the Capitol knows that they're not completely under their power.

Finally, they lead us off the stage and everyone starts to wander away.

* * *

The Peacekeepers lead me into the Justice Building, a building I've been in a couple of times. The building has been renovated and improved from when my mother had come when she was going to the Games. Even though there was thick carpets and velvet couches, bookshelves full of thick books have been added to the room. A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and long curtains border huge windows.

I sit on one of the couches, glad to rest my legs from a day of standing. Someone comes in and I glance up - it's my parents and Jako. My mother and father immediately get down to buisness, telling me how to survive.

"Remember, the most important thing is to find water. And stay out of the bloodbath," instructs my mother.

"Grab a few of the nearby stuff, then run. And try to find a weapon in the training centre that you're comfortable with," my father adds. Even though I had used the bow and arrows in the school Games two years ago, which I still haven't forgotten, I wasn't as comfortable with them as I would like to be. I've tried a huge variety of weapons, from spears, to swords, to axes, to throwing knives, but I don't really like using any of them. I nod, hoping that everything will be as easy as it sounds.

Jako is watching us seriously, scared to interrupt. Suddenly, without warning, he unclenches my fists, which have curled up beside me without me realising. He carefully clips something around my left wrist, and I look down. Hanging from a thin silver chain is a a small chickadee. I look to him.

"Where did you get this?" I ask. This must've been expensive, and I have no idea how he could've afforded it.

"I made it for you, and the blacksmith helped. Wear it as your district token, ok?"

Tears start to form in my eyes and I blink rapidly. I mustn't cry, not now. But tears trickle down my cheek and I can't stop them. I nod in answer to Jako's question.

My father pats my shoulder. "And don't forget, we love you." I'm choked up, and suddenly the danger and stress and fear crashes down on me. And a thought floats into my mind - I won't be able to see my parents, or Jako if I die in the arena. I won't be able to see Sofya, won't be able to live in District 12 again.

A peacekeeper comes in and drags my parents away. The next person who comes in is Sofya. Instead of chattering, like she usually does, she sits in silence beside me. Finally, she looks into my eyes and says, "Survive, ok? Come back alive." Her voice cracks and she's silent again.

Someone takes her out, and I feel hollow. I will be leaving behind my family and friends, my home... What more could I lose?

No one else comes in, and I crouch on the couch. A peacekeeper comes and takes me to the station, and before I board the train, I take one last look at District 12, my home. I stare at the familiar buildings, the paved roads, and try to imprint the image into my mind. This could be the last time I get to look at my home.

Someone drags me inside, and I don't resist. But once I'm in the train, I look for a window, and when I find one, I look outside, hoping to get one last glance at my home, but the train is too fast and District 12 is already out of sight.

Sighing, I go to my quarters and take a shower, flinching when the water hit my skin. And when I come out, I'm startled by the fans that start drying me off, and the electric current that dries my hair. More fancy Capitol technology.

I'm too tired to eat dinner, and I can't stand facing Sinelle and my fellow district partner, so I just flop onto my bed. I fall asleep instantly, soothed by the rocking of the train.

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**AN: Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! There's a review box for a reason, y'know ;)**


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